,i #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hjai ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #i1 #bjbb ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard 7for herself and ,mr4 ,smith of ,washington7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce ,a ,,bill ,to authorize the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services to award grants for career support for skilled internationally educated health professionals4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,professional's ,access ,to ,health ,workforce ,integration ,act of #bjbb4 #b4 ,career support for skilled1 internationally educated health professionals 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,according to the ,association of ,schools of ,public ,health1 projections indicate a nationwide shortage of up to #bej1jjj public health workers needed by #bjbj4 7#b7 ,similar trends are projected for other health professions indicating shortages across disciplines1 including within the fields of nursing 7#ejj1jjj by #bjbe71 dentistry 7#ae1jjj by #bjbe71 pharmacy 7#ch1jjj by #bjcj71 mental and behavioral health1 primary care 7#df1jjj by #bjbe71 and community and allied health4 7#c7 ,a nationwide health workforce shortage will result in serious health threats and more severe and costly health care needs1 due to1 in part1 a delayed response to food-borne outbreaks1 emerging infectious diseases1 natural disasters1 fewer cancer screenings1 and delayed treatment4 7#d7 ,vulnerable and underserved populations and health professional shortage areas will be most severely impacted by the health workforce shortage4 7#e7 ,according to the ,migration ,policy ,institute1 over #b1jjj1jjj college-educated immigrants in the ,united ,states today are unemployed or underemployed in low- or semi-skilled jobs that fail to draw on their education and expertise4 7#f7 ,approximately #b out of every #e internationally educated immigrants are unemployed or underemployed4 7#g7 ,according to ,drexel ,university ,center for ,labor ,markets and ,policy1 underemployment for internationally educated immigrant women is #bh percent higher than for their male counterparts4 7#h7 ,according to the ,drexel ,university ,center for labor markets and policy1 the mean annual earnings of underemployed immigrants was #cb1jjj1 or #dc percent less than ,united ,states-born college graduates employed in the college labor market4 7#i7 ,according to ,upwardly ,global and the ,welcome ,back ,initiative1 with proper guidance and support1 underemployed skilled immigrants typically increase their income by #bae percent to #ijj percent4 7#aj7 ,according to the ,brookings ,institution and the ,partnership for a ,new ,american ,economy1 immigrants working in the health workforce are1 on average1 better educated than ,united ,states-born workers in the health workforce4 7b7 ,grants to eligible entities 7#a7 ,authority to provide grants ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services acting through the ,bureau of ,health ,workforce within the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration1 the ,national ,institute on ,minority ,health and ,health ,disparities1 or the ,office of ,minority ,health 7in this section referred to as the ,secretary7 may award grants to eligible entities to carry out activities described in subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,eligibility ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this section1 an entity shall-- 7,a7 be a clinical1 public health1 or health services organization1 a community-based or nonprofit entity1 an academic institution1 a faith-based organization1 a ,state1 county1 or local government1 an ,area ,health ,education ,center1 or another entity determined appropriate by the ,secretary2 and 7,b7 submit to the ,secretary an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require4 7c7 ,authorized activities ,a grant awarded under this section shall be used-- 7#a7 to provide services to assist unemployed and underemployed skilled immigrants1 residing in the ,united ,states1 who have legal1 permanent work authorization and who are internationally educated health professionals1 enter into the ,american health workforce with employment matching their health professional skills and education1 and advance in employment to positions that better match their health professional education and expertise2 7#b7 to provide training opportunities to reduce barriers to entry and advancement in the health workforce for skilled1 internationally educated immigrants2 7#c7 to educate employers regarding the abilities and capacities of internationally educated health professionals2 7#d7 to assist in the evaluation of foreign credentials2 and 7#e7 to facilitate access to contextualized and accelerated courses on ,english as a second language4 7d7 ,definition ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the term health professional means an individual trained for employment or intended employment in the field of public health1 health management1 dentistry1 health administration1 medicine1 nursing1 pharmacy1 psychology1 social work1 psychiatry1 other mental and behavioral health1 allied health1 community health or wellness work1 including fitness and nutrition1 or other fields as determined appropriate by the ,secretary4 7#b7 ,the term underemployed means being employed at less skilled tasks than an employee's training or abilities would otherwise permit4 7e7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbc through #bjbg4